How to Turn Any Old Speakers Into Wireless Streamers

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How to Turn Any Old Speakers Into Wireless Streamers

Logitech’s Bluetooth Audio Adapter.

Logitech

A home audio system isn't the sort of thing that should require replacing every year or two like a smartphone or a laptop. This stuff is costly—connoisseurs consider their audio systems an investment, and with proper care, a quality home stereo can last decades. But with the proliferation of streaming music services, if you haven't upgraded your system in a while, it may feel behind the times—especially if it's lacking any wireless connections.

You don't need to shell out tons of dough to replace that vintage Marantz head or those quality Harman Kardon powered monitors. All you need is a simple Bluetooth adapter. There are dozens of affordable options. Pick one, hook it up, pair it with your phone, and then any audio coming out of your device can be floated wirelessly to your speakers. Bluetooth is great because it's everywhere—almost every modern smartphone, laptop, and tablet has the wireless communications technology built right in, and you don't need any special apps to utilize it. It's the easy way to take your system from the Golden Age of Rock to the Modern Age of Spotify.

Logitech's Bluetooth Audio Adapter, priced at a mere $40, is one of the cheapest commercial options we've seen. You plug it into your power strip, connect your powered speakers to the adapter with either RCA or 3.5mm inputs, and then pair with your Bluetooth-enabled device. It gets great Amazon reviews, with most folks finding the audio quality to be surprisingly good (as long as the source quality is also good) and setup simple. It transmits over the older Bluetooth 3.0 standard. Note that this tiny adapter (like most others) doesn't have an amplifier, so you'll need to connect it to an existing audio amp or a set of powered speakers.

Belkin's NFC Enabled HD Bluetooth Music Receiver ($60) also connects to an existing stereo system or standalone powered speakers, and can remember settings for up to eight different Bluetooth devices. NFC-enabled devices can tap to connect, while others can connect over Bluetooth. Android phones can also work with Belkin's BT app from Google Play.

B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver.

Audioengine

The B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver from Audioengine ($190) is another option favored by some of WIRED's resident audiophiles. Just plug in its included audio cables to your existing music system, plug in the power cord, and pair it to your Bluetooth device of choice, and it's ready to stream. It costs more, but it can handle 24-bit audio files, and it supports more advanced audio streaming standards like A2DP and aptX in Bluetooth 4.0, so it can produce better sound than devices that only support the older versions of Bluetooth.

More on Cord Cutting

If you picked up a speaker dock along with your iPhone 3GS a few years ago, you're probably kicking yourself now that Apple's mobiles have switched from the 30-pin connector to the smaller Lightning connector. But here's a workaround: the super small, $50 freeDa attaches to the 30-pin connector of your old speaker dock, turning it into a Bluetooth 4.0-compatible speaker. Sure, you can't use your dock to charge your phone anymore, but it does gain that critical new feature that keeps it in use as an audio device. There's also an aux-in port for connecting a 3.5mm cable, so you can take the freeDa into your car and add Bluetooth audio to your '72 Dodge Dart. If you do take it on the road, the tiny device has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed to last about 12 hours. This of course means that you can plug the freeDa into any sound system with a 3.5mm input, adding Bluetooth to just about any audio rig.

There are plenty of similar adapters out there. These are just our favorites. But no matter which one you choose, these tiny Bluetooth receivers are a great way to get extra utility out of your existing speaker system with very little set-up and very low costs.

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